From the News

Dated: October 28, 1915

A few details it is well to keep in mind in judging the tragedy at Brussels are, that Miss Cavell was an English-woman, the daughter of an Anglican clergyman, that she was a trained nurse and volunteered for service in Belgium; that her ability placed her at the head of the nursing staff of the Red Cross hospital in the city of Brussels. That the hospital was in no sense a German one and she was not responsible to German authority. That in the hospital soldiers of all nationalities were cared for, mostly Germans. Among the patients were wounded Belgium, English, and French soldiers, taken prisoners in battle and who had been sent for treatment. Miss Cavell took pity on several of these and connived at their escape into Holland, the frontier of which country is not far from Brussels. For doing this she was arrested. At her trial she admitted what she had done, saying she felt for the poor fellows whom she knew the Germans would kill. She was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Her execution was hurried and took place in the dead of night. This haste was due to the intervention of the U.S. consul, whose exertions on her behalf would likely have led to commutation of sentence. On hearing of her death the consul asked for her body and was informed it had been buried near the prison, a German pastor presiding. As a British subject Miss Cavell owed no allegiance to the Kaiser and therefore could not be guilty of treason. Her offense was breaking a military regulation; her motive, the humane one of saving the lives of men whom she pitied. She was in no sense a spy, she engaged in no plot to endanger the German power in Brussels, she had merely helped poor fellows to get out of danger. In the strength of innocence, she faced the German soldiers with the Union Jack pinned to her breast, and died a martyr in the cause of humanity. No wonder the killing of this noble woman has filled the civilized world with horror and pity and deepened detestation of militarism and autocratic rule.